There are so many questions that surround the Christmas season. It can be a time of difficulty for so many – especially if you have lost someone you love or are simply in an argument with someone that disagrees on a level that drives you to frustration! We are also living in a culture that has been devoid of understanding when it comes to being honest about trying to seek the truth. This means that it is difficult to use logic and reason to come to basic conclusions. Sometimes the answers must be found at a deeper level. When the loudest voices speak from their feelings and not their minds, we must speak from our minds into their feelings.
But today, I want to address a few lighter topics. I won’t go too deep! Just a few things that remind me of Christmas and give a little bit of history on them to help us understand why we choose to use them in our celebration of Christmas.
Candy Canes and Sharing God’s Love: Everyone loves the peppermint goodness of candy canes! Whether putting them on a tree or including them with a tag on a wrapped gift, they seem to remind us of Christmas no matter what time of year we see them! But what’s their purpose and origin? Historically, the candy cane was originally just a pure white candy staff made of nothing but sugar! I can imagine the excitement of children asking for this simple sugar stick. It was not turned into a shepherd’s hook until the 17th century by a choir director who did it for his choir because of a song they were performing. They weren’t even used for Christmas until the 19th century and stripes weren’t added until the turn of the century! The famous peppermint flavor was added shortly after. So it took quite a while to get to the look we see today! It is believed that every aspect of the candy cane holds a special meaning to Christians. From this history, however, it is obvious that they were not invented to be “Christian” candy. But the symbolism can be used to help explain and share the message of Christ! If you choose to use it in that way, here are some of the symbols that many have shared traditionally: the “J” shape represents Jesus’ name or the shepherd’s hook because they were the first to hear about his birth. The thick red stripe is representative of the shed blood of Jesus and the three fine stripes represent the Trinity. The white stripe represents the purity of Christ as well as the flavor of peppermint which supposedly stems from hyssop, symbolizing Jesus’ purity and sacrifice all the way back in the Old Testament. While these symbols are great for helping with sharing Jesus, we should never get too caught up with this candy as a primary sharing method during Christmas because it was not created to be a “Christian” candy, but we can use it to our advantage to easily tell about Jesus and share what He has done for us. Many in today’s culture take advantage of history and may point out that candy canes were not meant for this purpose. They’re right. But it doesn’t mean the message isn’t true!
Christmas Trees and Decorating: Most stories of the history of Christmas trees and decorating for Christmas go back before Christians decorated their homes for the season. Traditionally, decorating with greenery of any kind was in line with the winter solstice in order to remember that life would come again with the spring. Pagan, Druid, and priests of the ancient Celts decorated with evergreens as a symbol of everlasting life because of the long life that the plants seemed to have during the winter months. However, during the 14th and 15th centuries, there was “Miracle Plays” put on usually on December 24th that would tell stories from the Bible. The “Promise Tree” from Adam and Eve retelling from that play was what many would hold onto because in the play it symbolized the fall of man, but also the promise that God’s Redeemer would pay the price for that sin. Many Christians began bringing “Promise Trees” into their homes on December 24th to remember what Jesus had done for them. Over time, paper decorations, along with popcorn and even candles adorned the trees and eventually glass balls brought by German settlers to illuminate and gravitate everyone’s eye to the Promise Trees; which eventually became known as Christmas Trees because it was the only time of year that they were put up. They became so popular that there were farms created across the United States and in many other countries that held to the tradition in order to preserve the forests. According to the National Christmas Tree Association, approximately 25-30 million real Christmas trees are sold each year in the United States. That does not include everyone who decorates a fake tree. And there are many families who decorate multiple trees! This tradition may have started out pagan but was quickly taken captive by Christians who saw the value of celebrating the promise of salvation and everlasting life. This Christmas season, be sure to decorate with that in mind, not just for the tradition of what is expected.
Santa Claus and Giving Gifts: Many today struggle with how to broach the topic of Santa Claus with their kids. Do we allow our kids to believe in Santa? If we do, when do we tell them that he isn’t real? How do we help them understand the truth without them losing too much childhood fun? It may help to know a little bit about the history behind the myth! Santa Claus was, in fact, a real man! St. Nicholas, or Sinter Klaas, his Dutch name, was a godly man who was born in the 3rd century in modern-day Turkey. He lost both of his parents to plague and inherited a large sum of money because of their deaths. For many, it is difficult when you lose someone you care about because you don’t know who to blame for their death or where to begin. Many even turn from God during that time because they blame Him for the loss. But Klaas drew closer to God and became wise beyond his years. Because of that wisdom, he was only in his early 20’s when he became the archbishop of Myra. His devout Christian mindset and attitude are why he is named on the attendance for the council of Nicea and is called a defender of Orthodoxy (well… he slapped another attendee – Arius – for heresy so THAT could be the reason he’s called the Defender…). He is also greatly known for his generosity through gift-giving by leaving small presents and fruit in boots on doorsteps and his care for children and sailors. One story, in particular, is told of him saving three sisters from a life of slavery by paying their dowry! Many stories have been told of him through the years with each story and poem using more and more imagination until our image of him is not the tall, thin, bearded clergyman of the 3rd and 4th century, but of the plump, red-faced and clad, white-bearded man who uses magic for everlasting earth-life to bring gifts to every boy and girl. There are many versions of Sinter Klaas (or Dedt Moroz, Father Ice, Mikulás, Papai Noel, Hoteiosho, Juleniesse, Père Noël, Noel Baba, Joulupukki, Christkind, Father Christmas and many more) all over the world and many names for him. But knowing the truth of how it began is important. St. Nicholas died somewhere around December 6, 343 AD. Some countries still celebrate that day as St. Nicholas Day in memory of his generosity.
While many Christmas traditions did not start focused on Christ and some did but have not kept with that tradition, we know that the birth of Christ and the gift of salvation because of it is worth the celebration regardless of how the lost world around us is portraying our remembrance of His arrival! Don’t stop celebrating Christmas. Keep Christ in it and enjoy the season.
REFERENCE LIST:
History.com Editors. “History of Christmas Trees.” History.com. A&E Television Networks, October 27, 2009. http://www.history.com/topics/christmas/history-of-christmas-trees.
History.com Editors. “Santa Claus.” History.com. A&E Television Networks, February 16, 2010. http://www.history.com/topics/christmas/santa-claus
Lipka, Michael and David Masci. “5 Facts about Christmas in America.” Pew Research Center, December 18, 2017. http:// www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/12/18/5-facts-about-christmas-in-america/.
Mosteller, Angie. “Who is Santa, and What Does he Have to Do With Christmas?” Crosswalk.com. BibleStudyTools.com, December 12, 2011. http://www.crosswalk.com/special-coverage/christmas-and-advent/who-is-santa-and-what-does-he-have-to-do-with-christmas.html.
National Christmas Tree Association>Education>History of Christmas Trees. http://realchristmastrees.org/dnn/Education/History-of-Christmas-Trees.
“Origin of the Christmas Tree.” AllAboutJesusChrist.org, June 28, 2005. http://www.allaboutjesuschrist.org/origin-of-the-christmas-tree-faq.htm
“The History of Candy Canes.” Candy Cane History – Invention of Candy Cane. http://www.candyhistory.net/candy-origin/candy-cane-history/.
